Category: Invertebrates
Red Mulga Lerp
At a recent Land for Wildlife property assessment, I came across a great example of Red Mulga Lerp that I wanted to share with the members. Red Mulga Lerp (Austrotachardia acacia) is a structure produced by the larvae of ‘lac’ insects. The Red Mulga Lerp is found on Mulga (Acacia aneura) bushes and the crystallised
Keeping an Eye on Invertebrates: Spider Wasps
By Caragh Heenan Spider Wasps (Family: Pompilidae) are, as their name suggests, a family of Wasps that prey on Spiders (Order: Araneae). There are four subfamilies, including Ceropalinae, Ctenocerinae, Pepsinae, and Pompilinae, where coloration and wing appearance vary greatly among the many species. They are solitary Wasps that are native to Australia, and despite using
Dormancy Schmormancy
By Caragh Heenan I was talking recently to a Land for Wildlife member about why there aren’t any reptiles around in the cooler weather and this sparked the thought that while most of us know about the fact that reptiles are cold-blooded and therefore may slow down in winter, not many people know about the
Biodiversity Survey with the Tjuwanpa Women Rangers
Land for Wildlife has been engaging with the Tjuwanpa Women Rangers for many years now, providing support for on-ground work and facilitating workshops with the Ntaria Junior Rangers. In early April, Land for Wildlife helped the Women Rangers to discover the wildlife in the region by conducting a short biodiversity survey, as well as assist
Bagworms: A Case of Invertebrate Fever
Bagworm Moths or Case Moths belong to the family Psychidae. They are ranked in the Tineoidea with the family Coleophoridae (also known as Case Moths), though this latter family generally build with silk alone and have females that develop wings following pupation, unlike the females of Psychidae. The Psychidae adult female is largely wingless (has
Property Planning for Wildlife
We all love the plants, animals and other aspects of the natural world that we are surrounded with and want to learn how to protect them – the best that we can. You can aim as high as you like – or as humble as you like. Just do what you can. At the basic
Air Bee n Bee: Creating Hotels for Native Pollinators
Spring is here and gardens are a buzz! Insects play an important role in the environment as pollinators and nutrient recyclers. While it is easy to get carried away with the huge role that introduced European Honeybees (Apis mellifera) play in pollinating crops, there are many more species of native solitary bees (harmless and non-aggressive)
Up Close and Personal with Insect Mouthparts
Have you ever looked at an insect mouth up close? There’s a huge amount of variation in morphology that is related to the type of food an insect consumes. Mouth-parts of insects are composed of external appendages that project outwards, known as ectognathous mouth-parts (Greek: ecktos for outside, gnathos for jaw). Many insects have chewing
The Changing Seasons: Winter to Spring
As August wraps up, Land for Wildlife members should be looking to have any wildflower seedlings in the ground ready for the new growth that spring brings. There has been some significantly frosty weather of late so seedlings could remain protected for another couple of weeks until the warmth sets in. In the wildlife arena,